As Protestors March Against CVS, Demanding Fresh Food for Boyle Heights, a Walgreens Opens Two Blocks Away

Walgreens opened on Friday, but had it's inauguration on Monday. A CVS is planned near the corner of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Soto Street, only two blocks away from the Walgreens. Photo by Kris Fortin

Only a few days removed from protestors marching up Soto Street to demonstrate against a proposed CVS and shopping center development, people milled around a new Walgreens just two blocks from the protest.

Walgreens employees wearing “I <3 Boyle Heights” t-shirts greeted patrons on Monday for its opening inauguration, handing out vitamin samples, plastic cups, and tote bags promoting walking (the store’s first day of business was Friday). Community members are concerned that the Walgreens would drive out local businesses, specifically the mom and pop pharmacies that have served the community for more than 50 years. On Monday, residents looked at the store with curious eyes for what could be the cheapest buy.

Silvia Lopez, a middle aged woman from the Boyle Heights area, said that the store is close enough to walk to and can be useful for purchasing household items such as toothpaste and toilet paper. Alfredo Castellano, a 72-year-old resident that’s lived in Boyle Heights for more than 30 years, said that he currently traveled to a pharmacy on Atlantic Boulevard to get his medicine and refills. His frequency of refilling his prescription would make the Walgreens an ideal replacement.

“It was taking out food access to the community who couldn’t drive to Food4Less, or take the bus (to a local market),” said Aguirre.

Rendering of Shopping Center and blueprint of proposed developments. Construction cannot begin until at least 2013. Image provided by East Los Angeles Community Corporation

The day before the Walgreens opened on Friday, East Los Angeles Community Corporation, a non-profit that organizes low-income communities on the Eastside, gathered its members and allies to protest against the proposed CVS and shopping center developments near the corner of Soto Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue.

After failed attempts at negotiating with JSM Capital, LLC, the developer that is in line to take over ownership of the land from Metro, ELACC hopes to influence the development by voicing their opposition to Metro directly.

ELACC’s protest led to the alley between the King Taco and the Metro-owned site, where organizers led a planning exercise with residents on what they want on the sites. Many of the residents expressed a need for a grocery store, and wanted areas that had recreational space, such as public benches and green space.

The current development proposed by JSM would construct a CVS with 96 parking stalls, a 10-15 affordable housing development, and a shopping center with select fast food restaurants. ELACC, in coordination with its planning efforts with its members, wants to see more affordable housing with more units and a grocery market at the Metro-owned sites, said Reina Fukuda Salinas, ELACC community organizer.

Coincidentally, like the opposition to Walgreens a year ago, ELACC apposes JSM’s current proposal arguing that neighborhood is in need of a grocery market instead. ELACC also notes the proposal would increase single occupancy vehicle traffic, and doesn’t satisfy the need for more affordable housing.

While a Walgreens just opened, and talks about a CVS are ongoing, Aguirre laments how corporate entities are coming into Boyle Heights right when the neighborhood has been thriving.

Just like in Echo Park, where a Walgreens replaced a Pioneer market, the same cycle has been completed in Boyle Heights.

While the 72-year-old Castellano sees the benefits of the Walgreens, he said that it’s a shame that entrepreneurs who are from or understand the neighborhood don’t invest into the community, and outsiders are the ones that ultimately invest.

“They don’t have a vision to make prosperous businesses in East LA.”

ELACC organizing assistant Gloria Gutierrez helps a Boyle Heights resident with a planning exercise at the site of the proposed development. Photo by Kris Fortin

Seems like every week a new drugstore opens up somewhere in the LA area. Between Walgreen, CVS and RiteAid, they’re all over the place. I realize than in an aging population, there’s more of a market for “meds”, but sooner or later the weaker stores are going to fall by the wayside, leaving deserted buildings in their wake.

Geraldo’s Mustache

They can always take the bus to the new Wall Mart Market in Chinatown.

Allisonbike

This is a problem and these corporate drugstores seem to oversaturate LA. The Pioneer Market is a perfect example. My grandfather used to work there, at a grocery store that was quite popular in the neighborhood, had a job with union benefits, and after Echo Park started to get super gentrified, we saw Pioneer Market then become Walgreens. I remember when it happened, because Midnight Ridazz used to meet nearby. It’s unfortunate that every time impoverished neighborhoods try to coral resources for their residents, it gets taken over or crushed by corporate interests.

One notable thing, though, is the fact that the Latino chains are avoiding East LA and Boyle Heights. Out in the Inland Empire, many ex Hughes, Ralphs, Vons, and Lucky’s have been repurposed as Cardenas, Super King, Baja Ranch, Vallarta, El Super, etc. El Super and Superior are in the East LA market but the others haven’t made it. However, the folks in Boyle Heights and East LA should give up hope of an Anglo market like Ralphs or Vons, unless they are happy with a Fresh and Easy.

Even in the affluent Asian American communities of the San Gabriel Valley, Anglo markets have fled the area. Asians know a good deal when they see it and Anglo markets charge excessive prices for produce and meat. Indeed, the second highest demographic you find in the Latino chains are Asians. Anglo markets have more sales on packaged food, which doesn’t meet most minority’s needs.

Diana Duran

A 24-hour pharmacy was much needed in BH. I’ve had to drive to Atlantic Blvd. in middle of the night to get meds for my mom. The community needs to rally around finding a grocer like La Superior to open up a market in the area. It is much needed.

Mgp

-You Could Have Gone To Lincoln Heights!!

Anonymous

We’re not in mexico anymore toto!

Anonymous

Non voting Mexicans don’t seem to understand American investment/community /city code planning.Something they must learn, be educated about.Where the GOLDEN RULE of Business is….the man with the gold writes the rules!He who buys the property buys it due to lucrative vision.Investors do not appreciate be detracted from their intended vision.PERHAPS ELACC SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY,AND THEN DO AS THEY WISH.THEY MISSED A
GRAND BUSINESS OPP.